


The Presidential Suite

by quietpastelcolours



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Hyrule is a democracy now, Modern AU, Sexual Tension, Unrequited Love, embarrassing brothers, idk man I'm just a sucker for pretend boyfriend AU's apparently, the monarchy got abolished and shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-14
Updated: 2016-07-03
Packaged: 2018-07-14 23:10:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7194695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quietpastelcolours/pseuds/quietpastelcolours
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the very much single Zelda lets her teasing brother get to her and tells him she has a boyfriend, thank you very much, just to shut him up, things get out of hand when he tells her parents and they want to meet him.</p><p>Zelda panics and asks her best friend Ganondorf to pretend to be her boyfriend for the weekend - a decision she may come to regret.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bad Decisions

Ganondorf whistled quietly to himself, crossing his ankles as he leaned back against the tree, making himself more comfortable. He scanned the words of his textbook lazily – he wasn’t really studying, but it was such a nice day outside he wanted to enjoy the sun rather than go inside. It really was a perfect day today – the clouds were fluffy and white as they drifted lazily across the cornflower blue sky, and there was just enough breeze to make sitting outside pleasant. He turned the page of his book, saw a blonde blur out of corner of his eye, and turned his head just in time to see Zelda throw herself to the ground beside him. He jumped and snapped his book shut, staring at her.

“ _Holy shit_ – Zelda – what?”

“Oh my Gods.” She said, eyes wide and horrified. “Ganondorf – will you help me?”

He frowned and sat up. “Help you? Of course – what’s wrong?”

To his intense surprise, she blushed and looked away, fiddling with her hair.

“I’ve – I’ve done something really stupid.” She mumbled. “And – I really need someone’s help.”

Concern made him touch her knee. “Of course I’ll help – what is it though?”

He meant it too – along with Link, Zelda was his closest friend, and they’d all do anything for each other.

“Well-” She was so red now he thought she was going to spontaneously combust.

“Dammit Zelda! You’re scaring me! What’s wrong?”

She looked up at that, placing her hand on his wrist. “Oh no – don’t be scared for me, its nothing like that. It’s just… I said something that isn’t true, and now I’m going to be extremely, extremely mortified in front of my whole family, and by extension, the entire world.”

Ganondorf’s brows drew together. “Wait – what did you say?”

Now she was really blushing. “My brother… Edwin was teasing me, and I let it get to me, and well… I may have insinuated… that… I have a boyfriend.”

Ganondorf snorted and rolled his eyes. “Is that all? Why do you need help with that?”

Her eyes flashed up to meet his. “No, you don’t understand! _Edwin told Mama and Papa!_ And you know how Papa is hosting that dinner on the weekend?”

He began to be suspicious of just what she was asking. “Yes?”

“They’ve given me an invitation for my non-existent boyfriend to attend the dinner! They want to meet him, and – and –” She took a deep breath. “I dug myself into a really deep hole with Edwin. He was being _such_ a dickhead, and I just – wanted to shut him up, so I basically said I was on the verge of _living_ with said non-existent boyfriend-” She broke off here and pressed her fingers to her temples. “Ugh, I can’t believe I was so stupid! As if Edwin _wouldn’t_ go and blab, _why_ did I open my mouth!?”

“So what do you need my help with?” Ganondorf asked cautiously. “To tell Edwin to shove it up his arse?”

Zelda laughed at that. “Well you can if you want. I just – oh my Gods, I can’t believe I’m doing this.” She took a deep breath. “I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend.”

A startled second passed, and Ganondorf laughed out loud. “ _What?”_

Zelda looked incredibly embarrassed now. “It – it wouldn’t be for long… just the long weekend. Edwin suspects I’m lying, and I really want to shut him up. Like, I _really_ want to shove it right up his nose.”

He stared at her for a long moment. “You’re serious?”

“Super serious.” Zelda bit her lip. “The car’s waiting right now… Papa’s inside, under the impression I’ve gone to see if my ‘boyfriend’ is on campus.” She took another deep breath. “I – I was planning to just wander around for a bit, then tell Papa that sadly, my man had gone home, but… then I saw you.” She looked at him with big pleading blue eyes. He’d always been a sucker for those eyes.

“If I do this, you’ll owe me huge.” He said darkly, and she nodded fervently.

“I’ll be your slave for life.”

Ganondorf snickered at that. “Who could turn that kind of offer down? Alright. I’ll do it. I’ll be your fake boyfriend.”

Zelda’s face lit up. “Really!?”

“Really.” He confirmed, and she jumped forwards and hugged him.

“You’re the _best_ , Gan.”

“And you’re kinda dumb.” He countered as he returned her embrace. “So, am I meeting the parents _right now?”_

“Only Papa.” Zelda said, looking worried. “Oh, dear. Promise me you won’t say anything to make him disapprove?”

Ganondorf rolled his eyes. “I’ll try.” He began packing up his books. “What have you told your father about your boyfriend?”

“Um… not much. You can make stuff up.”

“Okay.”

Ganondorf grimaced to himself as he pictured it. A whole long weekend with Zelda’s parents? To be fair, he’d never actually met them… but Zelda’s parents were on a whole different level to what he was used to. Her father was the president of Hyrule, and though President Daltus and his socialite wife kept their children out of the spotlight enough to let Edwin and Zelda attend the University of Eldin without being recognised (most of the time), the thought of travelling to the capital to stay in the president’s actual house was a little daunting.

“Will… there be lots of security?” He inquired.

“Oh – yes, but you know. It’s just typical stuff.” Zelda said, twisting her fingers in the way she did when she was feeling anxious. “There’ll be some security outside the car to check you over… you have your ID with you, right?”

“Yeah, I think so.” He pulled out his wallet to check. “Driver’s licence, uni ID… would I need anything else?”

“No, you’ll be fine.” Zelda smiled at him then in a way that nearly took his breath away. “Thank you so much, Gan.”

He grinned at her. “I wouldn’t be much of a friend if I let Edwin screw you over like this, would I?”

She smiled back. “Thank you.”

Ganondorf stood up then, holding out a hand to help Zelda to her feet. “All right. Where’s the car?”

“This way.” She tugged his sleeve in the direction of the west car parks, and he fell into step beside her, mulling things over. They were (along with Link, who was currently away doing a sport) best friends, and while she was very beautiful and exactly the type of girl he got along with very well, he’d always been afraid of making a move in case it ruined their friendship. And now he got to be her boyfriend for a weekend, no strings attached? Ganondorf smirked slightly. He was going to enjoy this - the Goddesses were smiling on him today.

“Have you heard from Link today?” He asked casually. “I talked to him last night… would his match be over by now?”

Zelda nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, yes, I was texting him about half an hour ago. His team lost the first match and won the second, and now he and the rest of his teammates are getting hyped so they can crush the third match. If they win this, they’re into the finals.”

“Ah, I’d better send him some good luck and shit.” Ganondorf pulled his phone out and sent Link a quick message. “Damn, how far away did you guys park?”

“Up the back. Security doesn’t like to risk Papa, you know.”

“I know.” He chuckled. They walked across some more of the seemingly endless car park, and then Zelda stopped, putting a hand on his chest.

“Do you see over there, beyond those trees? The limo?”

Ganondorf looked, then whistled. “A stretch limo? Way to keep the president inconspicuous, guys.”

“It’s very heavily armoured.” Zelda wrinkled her nose at him. “And anyway, it’s got to fit Papa, Edwin, security and you and I in it, so it has to be big.”

“Oh man. You didn’t say Edwin was in there.”

She winced. “Sorry! You’ll still do it, right?”

He rolled his eyes at her. “Of course. Can’t throw you under the bus now.”

Zelda bounced on her toes. “Have I ever told you you’re the best?”

“You have, but I can always stand to hear it again.” He chuckled, and then, knowing that shortly the people in the limo would be able to see them, he took full advantage of the opportunity and slung his arm around her waist.

Zelda nearly tripped in her haste to look up at him. “What are you _doing!?”_

Ganondorf grinned down at her. “It won’t look very convincing if we don’t touch each other once.”

She deflated slightly. “Oh… yes, you’re right.” She relaxed into him then as they walked, and Ganondorf grinned to himself, secretly thrilled.

Zelda felt so anxious she could barely breathe. What if Ganondorf messed up and said something stupid or incriminating? And Edwin knew that she, Link and Ganondorf were friends… they’d all met one another. What if Edwin made things difficult?

Ganondorf seemed very relaxed though… and with how casually he’d put his arm around her waist, she was sure he was pretty unbothered by all this. She decided to trust him.

They reached the limo and two security guards stepped forwards to meet them. Zelda smiled at them all.

“Hi Davy, hi Lorono.” She chimed. “This is Ganondorf.”

Davy looked Ganondorf up and down, and she bit her lip, wondering what he was thinking, and more importantly, what her parents would think. Ganondorf wasn’t Hylian, so she was sure her mother would disapprove… her father would probably think it odd that she’d gone for such a tall, imposing man rather than the mild blonde sons of their socialite friends. Ganondorf didn’t look anything like the type of men that frequented Hyrule Castle – he was tall and heavily muscled, and his bright scarlet hair was _long_. Zelda chewed her lip harder – his hair alone was going to give her mother palpitations.

“Do you have any ID on you, Sir?”

Zelda stood to the side as they began to check Ganondorf out, checking his ID against their public records, going through his bag and examining his phone.

“We can’t let you take this bag into the cabin with the president, Sir.” Said Lorono, looking stern. “We’ll have to put it in the boot – is that okay with you?”

“It’s fine.” Ganondorf said, and Zelda passed her own bags over, and then the door to the limo was opened for them.

She got in first, sinking down onto the plush leather bench opposite her father and brother.

“Hi Papa!” She said cheerily. “Hi Edwin.”

Ganondorf sat down next to her, and from the tenseness of his arm against hers, she knew he was feeling a little worried now. Her father was watching Ganondorf with slightly nervous eyes, and Edwin looked rather sullenly surprised.

“You two are _dating_ now?” He asked with a frown. “I thought you were just friends.”

Zelda smiled tightly. “Um… we were, but you know. Things change.” She turned to her father then. “Papa, this is Ganondorf Dragmire. Gan, this is my father, Daltus Nohansen.”

She watched as Ganondorf and her father shook hands.

“Its an honour to meet you, Sir.” Ganondorf said, voice respectful, and she smiled at him.

“Likewise, young man.” Replied Daltus. “Tell us a bit about yourself.”

Ganondorf looked more at ease then. “Well, I’m in my second year, major in diplomatic relations. I’m the school’s heavyweight boxing champion two years running now.”

Zelda smiled fondly at the pride in his voice even as her father raised a brow.

“Heavyweight champion? Well, I can’t deny you don’t look the part.”

Ganondorf preened, and Zelda rolled her eyes. There was nothing he liked better than being told he looked built.

“Thank you, Sir.”

Daltus leaned forwards then as the limo pulled away from the curb to enter traffic. “And you’ve accepted our invitation this weekend? I’m afraid Zelda didn’t say…”

“I’d be honoured.” Ganondorf said, and Zelda breathed a sigh in relief. He was behaving just as he should.

“Good, good. What’s your address? We’ll drop you off.”

After Ganondorf’s address had been delivered to the driver and her father was on the phone, Zelda nearly jumped when Ganondorf put his arm around her shoulders. She strived to relax into his embrace and make it look natural as he bent down to murmur in her ear.

“How am I doing?” He hissed, and she grinned and whispered back.

“Really well! Just don’t mess it up now!”

The ride to Ganondorf’s apartment was uneventful and filled with polite smatterings of small talk when her father wasn’t taking a call, and when they finally arrived, Zelda got out with him and moved out of the way of the people on the sidewalk to stand beneath the awning of his building.

“So I’ll come and pick you up tomorrow.” She said with a smile. “At around lunchtime.”

Ganondorf nodded. “What will I need?” He said, rubbing his palms together.

“Well… casual clothes, mostly. Just your usual overnight supplies. But there will be a fancy dinner on Sunday night… do you own a suit?”

The look he gave her was withering in the extreme. “A _suit?”_

“Yes, a _suit_. Do you have one?”

Ganondorf shook his head, and she sighed. “Do you at least have black slacks and a white button down shirt?”

“Ummmm… no? I mean, I have a pair of slacks. I think.”

She mock rolled her eyes at him. “Honestly, what am I going to do with you? Never mind – I’ll have Papa’s tailor sort something out for you. Now-” Zelda stepped forwards, telling her to do it before she lost her nerve. Reaching out like she’d done a million times before, she pulled him down to her level and kissed his cheek, trying to make the action look tender, just in case Edwin or her father was watching.

“Sorry for dragging you into this.” She whispered in his ear. “But I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Ganondorf nodded and grinned at her as they pulled back from each other, then brushed her hair back, which she thought was a nice touch. “All right. See you soon.”

Ganondorf went inside his apartment building and Zelda went and got back in the limo, butterflies madly cartwheeling around in her belly. She was sure they could survive the weekend, but… what if this ruined their friendship? She really didn’t want that.

Zelda smiled at her father and then looked out the window as the limo pulled back into traffic, hoping they could pull this off without making themselves look like fools.


	2. Close Quarters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ganondorf's first day at Zelda's house, where he has to meet her mother - and learns they have to share a bed.
> 
> Slight NSFW scene!

Ganondorf scooted out of his bedroom at the knock on the door. “Coming!” He called, then navigated his small living room and pulled open his apartment door to see Zelda standing there. She grinned at him, and he felt a rush of excitement – today he got to be her boyfriend properly. Well, sort of, anyway.

“Ready to go?” She asked as she walked in.

“I think so.” He said, leading her towards his bedroom, where his overnight bag was sitting on his bed. “I have regular clothes, and then I found my old slacks… they’re a bit tight though.” Ganondorf smirked at her. “I’ve made some _serious_ gains since the last time I wore them.”

Zelda scoffed at that as she picked up the slacks to examine them. “Oh come on. You’re already huge! How have you gotten any bigger?”

He choked on a laugh and Zelda turned bright red as she swatted his arm.

“Oh my Gods – you know what I mean! If you spend this entire weekend making innuendos I’ll have security throw you out on your arse, I swear to Din I will!”

He snicked and lightly mock punched her shoulder. “Of course not, princess. What do you take me for?”

She grinned at him then. “And that reminds me – please don’t call me princess in front of Papa. He’ll start lecturing you on our family history and tell you _all about_ how I should be a real princess.”

Ganondorf chucked. “He’s still bitter he’s not a king?”

“Why do you think he fought so hard to be president?” She asked. “He views it as his birthright to rule this country.”

“Hmm.” Ganondorf nodded into his beard. “So I don’t need anything else?”

“No, you’re good.” She replied, stuffing the slacks back into his bag. Ganondorf zipped it up and slung it over his shoulder, and Zelda carried his laptop bag for him as he left his apartment.

“This isn’t really inconvenient for you, is it?” She asked, and he grinned down at her.

“No. I called into work yesterday afternoon and I managed to switch my shift from Monday to Tuesday, and I already had the weekend off.”

“That’s good.” Zelda said in obvious relief. She slipped her hand into his then, twining her fingers into his so they were holding hands as they went down towards where her car was waiting. “This doesn’t bother you, does it?” She whispered. “Only Edwin’s in the car, he insisted-”

“Its fine.” Ganondorf said immediately, then cursed himself for replying too quickly. He didn’t want to seem _too_ eager. “What’s his deal, anyway?”

Zelda sighed. “He’s just being weird.”

The car waiting was not a limo this time, but a neat yet expensive black car with a man in a black suit waiting at the boot. He took the bags from them and began stowing them away, and Ganondorf noted Edwin already sitting in the front of the vehicle. He let go of Zelda’s hand and opened the door for her, drawing a brighter smile to her face.

“Thank you.” She said, moving to get in the car, and Ganondorf shut the door for her then walked around to the other side. The inside of the car screamed luxury – the leather seats practically moulded themselves to his arse, even if it was very cramped. He had to hunch his back and draw his legs up to fit.

The driver got in, and they drove off – Edwin had looked over his shoulder with a very snotty expression and declined to speak, and Zelda was watching him apologetically. “Sorry.” She hissed under her breath. “When I said weird, I _meant_ weird.”

“It’s cool.” He murmured back.

The hour’s drive to Castle Town was taken up by the two of them discussing various assignments and upcoming exams, while Edwin silently played on his phone. They reached Castle Town – the name had been given centuries ago when there had merely been a small village around the castle, but now, even though it was a sprawling city, the name remained the same – just after one o’clock, and they drove straight to the castle.

Once the Hylian monarchy had been abolished, it had become custom for the president and his family to reside within the castle, to keep it occupied and prevent it from falling into disrepair. This tradition had been occurring for over a century now, and Zelda’s family was no different. He stared at the castle as they were let through the gates – he’d driven past it plenty of times, but he’d never been inside the grounds.

They got out of the car, him still staring at the massively imposing castle. Zelda slipped her hand back into his then, for which he was rather grateful, and then they started up the steps.

Zelda stifled a grin at the look on Ganondorf’s face as she led him into the massive vestibule, with its arched marble ceiling and imposing centuries old portraits.

“This way.” She chimed. “Papa’s in a meeting until three, and I’m pretty sure Mama is, hmmm-”

She snagged a passing member of staff in a black uniform, who told her that her mother was out to lunch.

Turning back to Ganondorf, she bounced on the balls of her feet. “Well, looks like you get a reprieve from meeting my parents just yet. Come on – I’ll show you where you’re sleeping.”

Zelda dragged Ganondorf up the stairs, barely realising she was still holding his hand until they’d reached the corridor where her bedchamber was. She let go of his fingers with a slightly self-conscious laugh, and pushed open the door.

“Well, here’s where you’ll be staying.” She said simply, gesturing at the rooms at large. Her bedchambers considered of a large sitting room that was open on one end into her bedroom, where a large walk in wardrobe and bathroom was to be found.

Ganondorf chuckled, his tone delighted as he walked in, spinning around a few times to take in the room. “This place is _enormous!”_ He declared, throwing out his arms. Zelda snickered and ran to catch up, falling into step beside him as he strode into her bedroom. He promptly went and collapsed on her bed, looking up at the embroidered canopy with wonder on his face. Zelda chuckled and sat down beside him, drawing her knees up to her chest.

“I’m glad you like it.” She grinned at him, and he grinned back.

“So I assume this is like a guest suite? Where you guys live?”

Zelda ducked her head – now came the awkward. “Here.” She said quietly. At his questioning look, she elaborated. “You’re, um, on my bed.”

Ganondorf sat up and stared. “ _Your_ bed? But didn’t you say this was where I was staying?” Had he hallucinated that part? Zelda looked more embarrassed now as she began to play with her long blonde hair.

“Um… it is. I planned to have you put in a guest suite, yes, but Edwin decided to be a brat and he changed it on the housekeeper’s register. By the time anyone realised it, we’d run out of guest suites, because of Papa’s guests, so… we’re sharing. _They_ all figure it wouldn’t matter, because, you know. We’re dating.”

Ganondorf raised a brow. “I’m surprised your parents are okay with you just casually sleeping with a man under their roof, boyfriend or not.”

Zelda turned bright red. “Well… Papa’s not terribly happy, but it was very last minute. And like I said, Edwin’s a pain in the arse.”

He snickered. “I can tell.” He thought back to Edwin’s odd behaviour, then changed the subject. “So walk me through the moment I meet your father again. And your mother too.”

Zelda heaved a sigh and tipped onto her back, and he lay down beside her as she held her hands up, gesturing at the ceiling as she spoke.

“Well, Mama will automatically disprove because of your hair, and also because you’re… not exactly Hylian.”

He raised a brow and tipped his head to the side to look at her. “Your mother is racist.”

“I know.” She replied a little unhappily. “She connects it to wealth – if you’re not rich, you’re not worth her time, and… she kind of assumes anyone who isn’t Hylian can’t be wealthy.”

He snorted, and Zelda reached out to touch his hand. “I’m sorry.”

He rolled his eyes at the canopy. “It’s fine. Not like I’m not used to it.” Ganondorf refused to look at Zelda until she started talking again.

“Well… aside from… that, Mama is quiet easy going. She can be snobby, but if you find a topic she likes or knows things about, she’ll warm up to you.”

“Hmmm. And your father?”

“Papa is political, obviously. He mentioned your major on the way home yesterday – he’s impressed by your choice of study.”

Ganondorf chuckled slightly. “So, I have to be rich, Hylian and political to please them.”

Zelda was silent for a moment. “That makes them sound so bad!” She cried, then folded her arms. “Oh dear.”

“Calm down, princess. I’m sure they’re both fine, despite what they choose to believe about _me_.”

Zelda rolled up on her elbow then. “But I do want them to like you, and you them. Even if we’re not really together, you’re still my best friend.”

“And I appreciate the thought.” He said, tapping her hand soothingly, and then he sat up. “Speaking of which, I was thinking, is what I’m wearing suitable to meet the president?”

She smiled and sat up as well. “No, you’re fine. I’m not wearing anything fancy, so if you did you’d look out of place.” Her hand reached out and combed through the end of his hair. “But you should maybe brush your hair – Mama’s already going to die of a heart attack when she sees that it’s waist length, let alone messy.”

He snorted a laugh, then pushed himself off the bed to look at himself in Zelda’s mirror. Ganondorf ran a hand through his scarlet strands, which was admittedly looking rather rumpled, streaming over his shoulders and to his waist in unkempt rivulets. “My hair isn’t _that_ messy.”

“Oh, _please_.” Zelda came up behind him and started pushing him into a chair. “Sit! I’ll brush your hair. That’s the only way we’ll get it to Mama’s standards.”

Ganondorf rolled his eyes and sat, and then relaxed as Zelda brushed his hair – it felt rather soothing. When his hair was finally smooth, Zelda put the brush back and motioned at him.

“Come on!”

He got up and followed her into her sitting area, where she made a beeline for a tablet fixed to one wall.

“Are you hungry?” She tossed over her shoulder. “We missed lunch coming to get you, so I’m going to get something.”

“What is there?” He asked, and walked up behind her. To his general astonishment, he found an entire menu awaiting him, and Zelda was flicking through all the selections available.

“I don’t want much.” She mused. “Just a nice simple sandwich. Oooh, the turkey and cranberry melt is always good. And I want it on ciabatta bread, and maybe toasted…”

Zelda was talking to herself now, but Ganondorf was fairly sure they had very different ideas of what a simple sandwich looked like.

“What do you want?” Zelda asked, stepping aside so he could use the tablet. “It’s like online shopping – just tap what you want to add it to the order.”

He nodded. “Sounds complex for lunch.”

She giggled slightly. “Well, I know it’s not how others do it. But it’s useful.”

“That’s true.” He ended up picking a steak sandwich and an iced coffee, and then Zelda put a movie on for them to watch while they waited for their food.

“All the food here is gourmet.” Zelda said with a grin as they reclined on her sofa, her feet in his lap. “Our chef prides himself on using Hylian produced foodstuffs – he doesn’t like imported goods.”

He managed a slight chuckle, then refocused on the movie, but in reality, his entire being was focused on not letting his body react to Zelda’s feet in his lap. Usually, it was only a minor problem, but now? With the whole fake boyfriend thing? He’d spent most of last night imagining little scenarios in which he was required to show affection to her in order to fool her parents – he might even get to kiss her. Ganondorf frowned hard – that was not the best thing to think of with Zelda’s feet so close to the danger zone.

Their food arrived shortly after, and blessedly, Zelda sat up to eat, so he didn’t have to worry.

“This is the best gods damned sandwich I’ve ever eaten.” He said in wonder – and it was true. Zelda’s chef could make one hell of a steak sandwich.

She giggled over her turkey melt. “Glad you like it.”

“Man, if this is the kind of stuff you eat all the time, I’m gonna have start coming here more often.”

She grinned wider. “You’ll have to keep pretending.”

Ganondorf pointed at his sandwich. “Worth it.”

Zelda rolled her eyes and looked back to the TV, where _Pacific Rim_ was playing. Ten minutes before the movie finished, there came a knock at the door, and a woman dressed in a plain black uniform came in to tell them that Zelda’s parents were both ready and waiting for them.

Ganondorf waggled his brows at her. “The big moment is here, huh?”

Zelda covered her face with her hands. “Oh my Gods I can’t believe we're doing this! I can’t believe I let Edwin make me say something so stupid! Ugh!”

He chuckled and tugged her to her feet. “Come on, I don’t want to keep the _president_ waiting. Wouldn’t want to give him a bad impression of me.”

Zelda grinned as she walked out the door. “Certainly not.”

There were people out in the corridors, so Ganondorf reached for her hand.

“Best make it look official.” He said with a grin, and Zelda laughed at that and squeezed his fingers.

“Of course.”

A thought occurred to him then. “What do I call your mother? Like, your father is sir, obviously, but your mother? She’s the first lady. Do I call her ma’am?”

“Yeah, call her ma’am. If she likes you, she’ll probably invite you to call her Valia.”

“Ah, but will she get past the hair?”

Zelda laughed. “Probably not!”

She led him down two flights of stairs into an area that really kicked the whole grand castle look up a notch – everything dripped gold and crystal, and he was honestly a little afraid to walk to close to anything. A little past this section was a room which Zelda called the second reception room, and it was in here that her parents were waiting.

“Will Edwin be there?” He inquired, and Zelda wrinkled her nose.

“By Nayru, I hope not.”

She pushed open the door and they went in, and Ganondorf recognised the president standing by a window, and sitting on a chair a little way away from him was an elegantly attired blonde woman with pearls at her ears and throat. The lady stood up as Zelda let go of his hand, and Ganondorf stood there somewhat awkwardly as Zelda kissed both her parents then came back over to his side.

“Mama, this is Ganondorf Dragmire.” She grinned up at him then. “Gan, you’ve met Papa already, of course, but this is my mother, Valia Nohansen.”

Ganondorf inclined his head. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ma’am.”

“I’m sure.” Said Zelda’s mother as she flicked her gaze over his form. Ganondorf stood as tall as he could, letting her take in every inch of his seven foot frame, and then deliberately shifted so some of his hair fell over his shoulder, letting her see the length. He noticed her eyebrows lift and fought a grin; Zelda was right.

Zelda grabbed his hand then, and led him over to a sofa, while her parents sat together on the one opposite. To his surprise, Zelda sat much closer to him than he’d been expecting. Much, _much_ closer. Her thigh was pressed against his and she was all but leaning on his chest, and Ganondorf found there was nothing to be done but to drop his arm around her waist, to which she turned and smiled up at him so softly he almost felt his heart skip a beat. _Oh man – I’m in deep._

“So Ganondorf.” Began Daltus. “How are you enjoying your stay so far?”

“It’s been great, Sir.” He said truthfully. “This is a beautiful place, and the chef here is excellent.”

“Ah, you had lunch?”

“We got back at one, so we ate while we were waiting for your meeting to finish, Papa.” Said Zelda. “We just chilled and watched a movie.”

Zelda breathed a small sigh of relief – things were going well. They’d all been making small talk for about an hour, and her mother was warming up to Ganondorf at last.

“So how did you two meet?” She asked, and Zelda scowled as Ganondorf started snickering to himself.

“Shut _up_.” Zelda lightly swatted his chest. She turned back to her mother then. “We met last year during a lecture.” She twisted her lips in embarrassment as Ganondorf’s chest shook with amusement.

“Where Zelda spilled her drink all over me.”

Her parents chuckled. “Zelda, how’d you manage that?” Her father asked, and she sighed.

“The lecture was very full and I was trying to get to an empty seat, which happened to be right beside Ganondorf. I’d stopped to grab a frappé before class, and that’s why I was running kinda late. Anyway, there was a bag in the way and I tripped on it, and… Ganondorf got frappé-d.”

Everyone laughed at that.

“And this was at the start of the lecture? Did you end up missing it?” Asked Mama, and Ganondorf answered that one.

“I missed the start of it. Luckily for me, I had my gym clothes with me, so I put them on and went back to class. When it was over, Zelda stopped me from leaving so she could apologise more and gave me the notes that I’d missed, and that’s how we started talking.”

“And how did you go from there to dating?”

Zelda grinned at her mother. “We’ve been friends for ages, and then, I don’t know. It just turned into something more.” She turned to smile up at Ganondorf for full effect, and he was grinning down at her very authentically. She was very pleased with his performance, actually. He seemed quite okay with intimacy in front of people, and if she cared to admit it to herself, she quite liked the feel of his body against hers, his arm around her waist.

Her father’s phone rang then, and he excused himself and her mother soon followed suit, and when they were alone in the room Zelda clapped her hands excitedly.

“They fell for it!” She giggled, and Ganondorf chuckled.

“Of course they did – what with my superior acting skills, how could they not?”

She laughed harder. “Oh please. That being said, you’re _very_ convincing.”

Ganondorf got a funny look in his eye then, and Zelda waited for him to speak, but he didn’t. He merely watched her.

“…Ganondorf?”

He visibly shook himself then. “What? It’s good… let’s go explore. You have to show me around now.”

“Okay.” Zelda watched him as she led him from the room – his good humour seemed to have returned, so she didn’t exactly know what had been wrong.

They explored until dinner, avoiding the masses of staff and guests milling about the castle, and then went to their evening meal, which took place in the smaller, less formal dining room, and was mainly filled with her parents getting to know Ganondorf. He looked huge and out of place at the table – the intricate silver cutlery was small for his hands, and his dark skin was darker against the gleaming white tablecloth. Once dinner was over, however, and they were heading back to her rooms, the atmosphere was increasingly awkward – because now they had to sleep together.

“Umm… I’m going to go and have my shower.” She said, avoiding looking at him too much as she headed into her bedroom, going over to her wardrobe to dig out her pyjamas. But what to wear? Most of her pj’s were singlet tops and cotton shorts, because she disliked sleeping with masses of fabric caught round her body. _Ugh_. She’d much rather have something a touch more covering to sleep in, but since Edwin screwed up the guest register, she hadn’t had time to get something a little more concealing. With a sigh, she pulled out her pj’s and frowned at them, before heading into her bathroom to wash away the day’s stress.

_And replace it with that of the night._

She chewed on her lip as she washed herself, deliberately prolonging her shower to avoid having to walk out there in her pyjamas… eventually, however, she knew she had to get out.

Ganondorf lounged very comfortably on Zelda’s bed. Her mattress was incredibly plush, and her comforter was filled with goose down – it was heaven. He was on Twitter while he waited until Zelda was done so he could shower, and was thoroughly enjoying her bed while he did so. At that moment, the door to her bathroom opened and Zelda came out, and he nearly swallowed his tongue.

Ganondorf followed Zelda’s movements as casually as he could, but on the inside, he was panicking – she didn’t seriously expect him to calmly sleep beside her with all that bare flesh on display, did she? Her clothes – if you could even call them that – consisted of a tight singlet and matching tiny shorts edged with lace, and the mere sight of her ass in those shorts was making his mouth dry. Ganondorf flopped back on the bed with a groan – he was in for a rough night. What did he have to go and let himself get attracted to Zelda for, anyway? She only saw him as a friend. Of that, he was certain.

He was also certain that he was going to have to be very, _very_ careful when sleeping tonight.

“Shower’s free, you know.” She called, now sitting at her dressing table towelling her wet hair dry.

“I know.” He called back. “I’m just enjoying this bed. Best mattress ever.”

That made her laugh, and Ganondorf grinned to himself as he grabbed his clothes and towel, and headed into Zelda’s bathroom. Her bathroom was that curious blend of ultra modern and antique most often found in antiquated buildings that had been converted into hotels – the walls were panelled and finished in gold, but she had a spa tub and a shower with three different heads. A grin curled his lips as he beheld her magnificent shower – he was gonna enjoy _this_.

Once in the shower, his body being pummelled by what felt like eighteen different jets of steaming water, Ganondorf closed his eyes and let himself relax. His thoughts drifted back to Zelda, however, and he began to idly imagine what it would be like to slowly skim his hand up her bare leg, until he reached those tiny shorts, and then he could dip his fingers beneath the hem and – _no, bad thoughts, very bad thoughts. Zelda is my friend,_ he admonished himself. _You’re not allowed to think about her like that._

Gritting his teeth, he reached for the washer and scrubbed his face, before lathering conditioner into his hair. Still, his thoughts kept creeping back to Zelda – enough that his cock began to stiffen. He frowned down at himself, thoroughly unimpressed, but then decided it would probably be a lot wiser if he took care of himself now – if satisfied, the risk of any accidents happening while in bed with her would be significantly reduced. _I hope_. Taking his length in hand, he began to stroke himself firmly, leaning back against the wall as steam swirled around him.

He groaned quietly to himself when he came, head tipped back, throat tight as pleasure sparked through his form, pooling at the base of his spine. Guilt began to nibble at him as he cleaned himself up – it was one thing to occasionally jerk off to the thought of your best friend, as he had to admit he occasionally did, but it was another thing completely to do so in _her_ shower, with Zelda herself in the next room.

Ganondorf rinsed himself thoroughly and stepped out of the water, towelling himself dry and wrapping his hair up firmly in a turban made of towel before he stepped into his pyjama pants, then gathered up his stuff and left the bathroom.

Zelda idly looked up as she registered movement out of the corner of her eye, then nearly dropped her brush as Ganondorf sauntered out of the bathroom. She’d seen him shirtless plenty of times before, of course, but now… she sincerely hoped he was planning on putting a shirt on before he got into bed. She kept brushing her hair, having dried with while he was in the shower, and then grabbed a hairband so she could plait it.

“Why’d you cut your pants?” She inquired mildly, and Ganondorf chuckled, looking down at his pyjama pants, which were clearly supposed to be full length, but had been cut off at the knee.

“A mouse got into my apartment last year. Before I had the chance to trap the bloody thing, it nibbled holes in a bunch of my clothes, including these pants. These fit me well around the thighs so I didn’t want to chuck ‘em… but they looked pretty stupid full of holes from the knees down. So I cut ‘em.”

“I see.” Zelda began to braid her hair; she could see Ganondorf’s actions behind her in her mirror – he was now rubbing his wet hair dry, his muscles bulging in very distracting ways. She didn’t normally notice his body like this – _it’s the proximity,_ she decided. _I’m just… hyper aware of the fact I have to share a bed with him._ She nodded to herself –that seemed like a rational enough argument, so it was also most likely that after this little charade was over, things would be back to normal between them.

Fastening the band at the end of her braid, Zelda let it swing over her shoulder, then turned her attention back to Ganondorf, who was now rubbing oil through his long hair. There was a bead of water that he’d missed while drying himself, and it was very slowly making its way down his chest. Zelda blinked at it as the droplet slid slowly down his right pec and then made its way down the very defined ridges of his abs, where it then got caught in the trail of red hair, which led all the way down to the waistband of his… Zelda jerked her head up and turned back to her dressing table, putting some toner on a makeup pad and beginning to rub it all over her face. When she opened up her eyes again, she was greeted by the sight of those abs suddenly right behind her.

“What’s this?” Ganondorf asked, voice interested as he picked up a bottle.

“It’s toner.” She replied. “It’s what I’m putting on now.”

“What’s it do?”

“It removes impurities and just generally makes your skin good.”

“Hmm. And this?”

She looked – he’d picked up another bottle. “That’s my moisturiser, and the other one is my eye cream.”

“What do you need eye cream for? Isn’t that an old lady thing?”

“You might think so.” She said primly, squeezing some moisturiser into her hand and rubbing it into her cheeks. “But twenty is the beginning of the end.”

Ganondorf snorted at that. “Do you have a hairdryer I can borrow?” He asked, changing the subject.

“Second drawer on the left side of the cupboard under the sink.” She said, pointing at the bathroom.

Ganondorf murmured his thanks and promptly departed, and Zelda breathed a sigh of relief as he and his distractingly bare chest went away. I have to get a hold of myself, she thought furiously. She knew her cheeks were pink as she looked at her bed, and then she took a deep breath and turned off the lights in her living area, dimming the one’s in her room as she went. Zelda turned back the covers and slipped into bed, sticking close to the edge, and then she picked up the book she’d been reading and opened it up to the page she’d been at, letting herself get lost in the words as she listened to the sound of the hairdryer.

When it stopped and Ganondorf came out again, she very determinedly glued her gaze to her book and avoided looking at him. He dumped a few things in his overnight bag, then came over to the bed and sat down with a hairbrush and tie.

“This is very… domestic.” He commented, and Zelda snickered.

“You could say that. I’d have gone with unexpected.”

Ganondorf chuckled and began to brush out his very fluffy hair, then set the brush down and braided it deftly.

“Aren’t you going to put on a shirt?” The words popped out before she could call them back, and Zelda turned red and hid behind her book as he laughed.

“You’re lucky I’ve got pants on at all, princess.” Ganondorf said, voice deep and amused. “I usually sleep naked.”

Wasn’t _that_ an interesting mental picture?

“Are you blushing?” He asked, humour in his tone, and Zelda glared at him over the top of her book.

“Shut _up_.”

He kept laughing as he lay down, hands behind his head, which only made his body look better, damn the man to hell.

“Bedtime.” She announced with some acidity to her voice to cover up her embarrassment, and she put the book to the side. Lying down further, Zelda clapped her hands three times in rapid succession, triggering the auto-shutoff lights, dousing them in darkness.

“That figures.” Came Ganondorf’s, voice from somewhere beside her.

“What does?” She replied.

“Even your lights are fancy.”

Zelda laughed and snuggled down further in her bed. She could do this – it was basically a sleepover with one of her best friends.

“Goodnight, Ganondorf.”

“Night Zelda.”

It took her a while to fall asleep, but she did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this the most self-indulgent fic I've ever written? Yep. Is that gonna stop me? Nope.


	3. Preparing for the Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ganondorf and Zelda lounge around the castle, getting ready for the dinner the next evening - Ganondorf has to get fitted for his tails and learn to waltz all in one day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains a slight NSFW scene!

When Ganondorf woke up, he stretched comfortably, idly scratched at his beard and wondered when exactly his bed had gotten this comfortable. Opening his eyes, he stared at the heavily decorative canopy above his head until his brain caught up with him and he realised he wasn’t in his bed. Nor was he alone. The more he woke up, the more he realised his front was feeling very warm – kind of like the warmth that came of being cuddled up to another person. The second this thought entered his head his eyes popped wide, and he looked down to see Zelda peacefully curled on her side and fast asleep, her ass nestled right up against his crotch, his arm draped over her waist. He realised they’d both migrated towards the centre of the bed while they slept, and now she was _way_ too close for comfort. Horror slid through him as he realised it was worse than he’d previously thought – he was sporting a serious case of morning wood, which in his sleep he’d firmly ground into Zelda’s ass. Ganondorf lay there for a long moment, debating what he should do, and then he slipped out of bed carefully, so not to wake her, and then scooted into the bathroom to recover. 

He’d done it. He’d slept in the same bed as Zelda without making things awkward – well, if you ignored the morning wood, at least. Ganondorf grinned in victory at his reflection in the mirror, and then turned on the shower, thanking as many deities as he could think of that he’d woken up before Zelda had – it would have been disastrous if _she’d_ been the one to discover his morning erection. As it was, his hands itched to go and feel her smooth skin again – he scolded himself as he bound his hair up in a shower cap and got into the shower, thoroughly enjoying the hot water pounding his body from all directions. Ganondorf frowned down at his hard cock – it just figured he’d go and get all excited in his sleep. Why were they _torturing_ him by making him sleep with Zelda, anyway? It was cruel. He sighed in annoyance and lowered his hand to his cock, stroking it slowly. He was trying hard not to think about how Zelda’s ass has nestled so perfectly against him, trying hard to ignore the feel of her skin against his. He gritted his teeth as sparks of pleasure began to pool at the base of his spine, and he reached one arm up to grip the showerhead tightly, muscles bunching as he held it firmly, bracing himself against the cool tiles as he groaned into the steam, the hot spray of water rushing over his body and carrying with it his release. Now satisfied, his cock was beginning to soften, and Ganondorf scowled at himself. This was the second time in twenty-four hours he’d jerked off to the thought of Zelda in her own shower; he needed to get a hold of himself.

Finishing his quick shower, he got out then pulled his hair from its braid to begin brushing it out, letting it settle in a voluminous cloud of red around his shoulders.

Taking a deep breath, he wandered back out of the bathroom and pulled up short when he saw Zelda sitting up in bed. She smiled when she saw him. 

“Good morning, princess.” He said, moving towards his overnight bag, determined to act normal.

“Good morning.” She replied. “Did you sleep well?”

“Fine.” He said curtly, unwilling to accidentally reveal anything incriminating.

“Do you want breakfast?”

That question had him turning around smartly. “What? D’you think I’d willingly miss out on the food here? Do you even have to ask?”

Zelda giggled and opened her bedside drawer to pull out a tablet, before she patted the bed beside her. “Sit! I’ll order now.” 

Ganondorf grinned to himself as he went and got back into bed, taking a moment to arrange the covers over his legs, then leaned closer to Zelda as she balanced the tablet in the middle of them, flicking through the different options. 

“I’m having eggs benedict.” She announced. “It’s my favourite.”

He raised a brow. “You just casually have eggs benedict for breakfast? Without it being a special occasion or anything?”

“Yeah. I eat breakfast in bed on the weekend too.” She grinned at him mischievously. “Will you join me, or be a spoilsport and sit at the table?”

He smirked at her. “Miss out on breakfast in bed in a literal castle? Do you think I’m mad?”

Zelda giggled and tapped in her order, then handed him the tablet. “Here, pick what you want.”

He ended up getting eggs benedict as well, reasoning that if they were Zelda’s favourite, then they must be pretty damn good, and then he stretched out with his hands behind his head. Zelda smiled at him as she put the tablet away, and then she rolled onto her side to look at him.

“So are you ready for your fitting?”

“My fitting?”

Zelda grinned to herself. “Yeah. You only own too tight slacks – I’ve arranged for the tailor to come this morning so he can fit you for a formal outfit.”

Ganondorf wrinkled up his nose, and she smiled to see it. “Just how formal is this going to be?” 

“ _Very_.” She said with relish. “You’ll be in tails and I’ll be in a ball gown, and it’ll be televised, and-”

 _“Televised?”_ Ganondorf looked horrified, and she laughed. 

“Yes, televised. The actual dinner won’t be, nor will the dancing, but the arrivals will be.”

Ganondorf started to say something, but then interrupted himself. “Did you say _dancing?”_

Zelda snickered. “Yes. I hope you know how to waltz.”

_“Waltz!?”_

She laughed harder. “I’ll teach you the basics after breakfast, don’t worry.”

Breakfast arrived shortly after that, and Zelda, having recognised the sound of the approaching trolley, scooted over in bed and plastered herself up against Ganondorf’s side, snickering under her breath at his surprised sound. What surprised _her_ was just how pleasant his muscular form felt beneath her cheek and palm. 

“Act natural.” She hissed, and he dropped his arm around her waist just as she heard the old servants door open, and one of the staff walked in pushing a trolley with covered dishes on it. 

“Good morning, Zelda.” Called the woman cheerily, and Zelda looked over her shoulder to see who it was.

“Morning, Mina.” She replied. “How’s your day been so far?” 

“All right.” Mina parked the trolley and headed back towards the door. “Was there anything else?”

“No thank you.”

Zelda remained cuddled up to Ganondorf until the door had closed and Mina was gone, and then she peeled herself off his torso, giving him a bit of an embarrassed smile as she reached over to the trolley, which had been parked beside the bed, and passed him one of the plates. 

“Here you go!” She said cheerily, and happily dug into her eggs benedict. She snickered as Ganondorf tried one mouthful of his own meal then practically moaned from how good it was, tipping his head back, eyes closed. “That good, huh?”

“I’m going to take your chef home with me.”

Zelda grinned. “Just come over more often then.”

He speared her a glance. “I live an hour away from you.”

“That’s true.” Zelda mock sighed. “Well, you’ll just have to enjoy this weekend.”

Ganondorf grinned at her over his breakfast. “I have every intention of doing so.”

When breakfast was over, Zelda got on the phone to the tailor, and Ganondorf watched, bemused, as she paced up and down while speaking.

“-and you’ll want to make sure the sizes run big – no, not _fat_ big, I mean _big_ big. He’s seven foot tall.” 

Ganondorf snickered to himself as Zelda kept going.

“Yes, seven foot.” She turned to him then. “You are seven foot, right?”

“ _Exactly_ seven.” He confirmed, and she nodded into the phone.

“Yes, exactly seven.” She listened for a few more minutes. “Gan, can I put you on the phone? He wants to know your measurements.”

He heaved himself up off the couch. “Sure.” Ganondorf spent a few minutes on the phone with the tailor, who was clearly not enjoying having to find something that would fit, and then handed it back to Zelda, who wrapped up the conversation.

“He’ll be here in two hours for your fitting.” She said, leaning over the back of the couch. “Meanwhile, it’s time for you to learn to dance!”

He sagged into the sofa again. _“Noooooo-”_

Zelda interrupted his complaint. “ _Yes_. Now get up, lazy bones.”

“ _Fine_.” Ganondorf stood up and spread his hands. “Okay, I’m up. Now what?”

Zelda grinned at him and darted over to a stereo system, and fiddled with it until some sort of classical music began to play.

“A waltz requires co-ordination and skill.” She said, moving to stand before him. “But you’ll just have to fake it.”

Ganondorf furrowed his brow. “How?”

“Well, ordinarily, a man would lead. But, I know how we can work this so I’m leading, but you’ll still look the part.”

He nodded. “Lead away, princess.” Zelda grinned and moved very close, then grabbed both his hands, settling one on her waist and holding away in the air. Her free hand came to rest on his shoulder, and he raised a brow. “Now what?”

“You need to move back, like _this_ -” Zelda moved forwards, forcing him to pull back, then tugged him to the side. “-and like _this_. Try to count the number of steps as you go, it’ll make it easier.”

“You haven’t told me the number of steps yet, princess.” 

“Shit.”

The dancing lesson went until the tailor arrived, to which they were alerted to by a knock at the door. Zelda let go of his hands and stepped back before she called out that they were to come in.

The tailor turned out to be a tall, thin man with cropped dark hair accompanied by two assistants who were pushing a rack of clothes bags and a trolley full of supplies respectively.

Ganondorf frowned suspiciously as he watched Zelda smile brightly.

“Mr Caro.” She said, darting forwards to shake the tailors hand. “How are you? I’m so thankful you could come on such short notice.”

“Not at all, Zelda! Not at all.” Mr Caro was all smiles. “I’m happy to help.”

Zelda grinned to herself as Mr Caro began Ganondorf’s fitting – he’d brought enough equipment to make any alterations needed on the spot. An expensive gesture, to be sure, but the tailor was _always_ happy to help the president. He was always very fond of the tip, too. 

She bit her lip to stifle her laughter at Ganondorf’s indignant noise when Caro unceremoniously told him to strip, and then she went back into her bedroom to give them some privacy, where she lay on her bed and watched a movie for a while. After roughly an hour and a half, she was called back in.

“Ah, Zelda!” Caro clapped his hands. “What do you think?”

Zelda smiled slowly as she took in the sight of Ganondorf clad in black tails, looking thoroughly unimpressed. 

“He looks wonderful.” She said warmly. “However did you manage to find a shirtfront that fitted him?” 

Caro beamed at the praise. “Well, it certainly wasn’t easy, but I have a few designed to fit the discerning _larger_ gentleman, and we modified them.”

“I’m in the clothes of a fat man.” Said Ganondorf, tugging at his lapels, making the assistants grin.

“But are the tails a bit short?” Mused Zelda, moving closer. “He’s so tall – the whole sit of the coat is different. Turn around, Gan.”

Ganondorf rolled his eyes but obliged, standing there silently as Zelda debated the coattails with Caro. Finally, the tailor had packed up and gone, his tails securely packed inside a garment bag and hung in her walk in robe, and then she insisted on dancing again. By the time two more hours had passed, he’d pretty much gotten the hang of a very basic waltz, and was only fumbling a bit on the spins. Finally, however, Zelda told him he’d been doing very well and they could have a break for lunch – he’d never been more thankful for something.

They spent the entirety of lunch on the phone to Link; his excited voice filled the room on speaker as he described each and every goal to them - his team had won, and he was through to the finals, of which he was extremely proud. By the time Link had hung up, Ganondorf had stuffed himself to bursting with more of the castle’s excellent food, and then Zelda, a grin playing around the corners of her mouth, suggested they go for a walk to burn some of it off, watching him with an amused expression as he groaned and complained about his food baby. Ganondorf thoroughly enjoyed the walk down to the castle gardens, for there were what felt like hundreds of guests roaming about, and so she’d twined her fingers into his to make things seem more natural. 

They greeted many guests that Zelda apparently knew, and he was introduced to all of them as her boyfriend, giving him the perfect excuse to touch her fairly frequently. All in all, Ganondorf was living the dream. The gardens were immaculate, of course, and there was even a hedge maze, which Zelda claimed she knew by heart, so he decided to lead them – he wanted to get thoroughly lost inside it.

Zelda grinned to herself as Ganondorf towed her through the maze – he’d already led them into three dead ends, all of which she’d known were there, but he wouldn’t let her tell them which way to go.

“Not that way!” She got out before he rounded on her.

“ _Shhh_! Don’t tell me!” He commanded playfully as they both laughed, and then they jumped as the bright flash of a camera bulb startled them.

“Oh!” Zelda recognised the man holding the camera and grinned. “Loca – I didn’t know you were here!”

 “I’m working the ball, and I figured I’d come and get some candids of the guests to add to the spread.” The photographer lifted his camera and grinned. “The two of you looked very natural together; I couldn’t resist. Will you introduce me to your friend?” 

“Of course!” Zelda gestured up at Ganondorf. “Gan, this is Loca Veresi, a _very_ talented photographer whom Papa is fond of hiring for events. Loca, this is my boyfriend, Ganondorf Dragmire.”

Loca’s brows shot up. “Boyfriend, eh?” He raised his camera. “Well, I’ll be needing some shots then, won’t I!” 

Zelda felt herself flushing slightly, but she smiled and laughed along with the exuberant photographer. Loca took several photos, most of them simple couple-y shots of them cuddled together, but then Zelda was not at all prepared when Loca lifted his camera once more and called, “Now, kiss her while she’s laughing.”

It felt like the whole world had shifted into slow motion, and the smile began to die on her lips as Ganondorf, so casually it looked like he’d been doing it forever, turned her towards him, threaded his hand into her hair, and kissed her. She gasped against his mouth as he angled his head, pulling her tighter against him and deepening the kiss til her mind spun. A tiny thought in the back of her mind reminded her that they needed to look convincing, so Zelda convinced herself to wind her arms around his neck to pull herself closer, their breath mingling as her lips parted. 

“And… wonderful!”

Loca’s voice pulled her back to the present, and Zelda broke the kiss, still feeling utterly bewildered at what had just happened. She peeked up at Ganondorf, then flushed and turned away, letting go of his hair and placing her hands on his biceps instead; his hands were still on her waist. He released her completely then, looking faintly confused, eyes dark with something that made her stomach tingle. Zelda bit her lip; he’d _kissed_ her. Holy Gods, she now knew what Ganondorf’s lips felt like, tasted like… and that presented some problems. She'd not banked on feeling so awkward around him now... surely it was just because everyone was assuming there was intimacy between them when they were just friends, but... was it possible she was actually coming to be attracted to him? It was a rather alarming thought, mainly because there wasn't any way he felt the same, and she knew she'd have to find a moment alone to properly think about things. When had she even started thinking about Ganondorf this way? He was a good looking man, to be sure, but he'd had quite a string of girlfriends, and she'd not felt jealous or upset by it... she just covertly admired his physique while swimming or working out or something. But, she reflected, she did that with Link too, and she was quite sure she wasn't attracted to him. This whole situation was just utterly bewildering.

“Beautiful, beautiful…” Loca was paying too close attention to his camera to notice the awkward moment then, but just as he was looking up, Ganondorf seemed to recover his nonchalance as he slung his arm around her waist once more, tugging her gently into his side. Zelda fought to relax against him, focusing on Loca even as she burned with the awareness of Ganondorf’s body against hers. “Some of these shots are just lovely, Zelda.” The photographer continued, and she strived to pay attention. “I’ll have a package sent to you when I have them made up.”

“That’d be great.” She said as warmly as she could. “Thanks, Loca.”

“Not at all, Zelda.” The man grinned at her. “I’ll see you tomorrow night for more photos, gorgeous as ever, huh?" 

She made herself laugh. “I certainly hope so!”

They made their farewells, and after the photographer had gone, Zelda turned to look up at Ganondorf, just knowing her cheeks were still pink, only to see him shrug slightly, a sheepish grin on his face.

“You said make it convincing.”

Zelda rolled her eyes. “ _Very_ convincing.” To cover up her awkwardness now that she knew he was just committed to his role (and proving to be a masterful actor), she took a deep breath and released it. “Come on.” She said, motioning to a new path within the maze. “Let’s keep going.”

Ganondorf didn’t know what to think. Zelda was quiet as they made their way through the maze, and he followed her lead – the fun of uncovering the exit had quite disappeared following what had just happened. He’d _kissed_ her – how stupid of him! He’d reacted on instinct – so focused on the _pretending_ part, the _acting_ part, he’d obeyed Loca’s suggestion almost without thought. He had no choice but to suppose it was because he’d been thinking about kissing her for almost two days straight now, so when presented with the opportunity, he took it without thinking. That’s not to say… that Zelda had reacted _negatively_. Far from it, in fact. Ganondorf fought to keep himself from becoming _too_ excited as he relived the kiss, imagining Zelda twining her fingers into his hair, her lovely breasts firm against his chest as her soft lips parted against his… yep, he was in trouble. Big, big trouble.

“Do you want to go back?” Zelda asked quietly, and he snapped to attention as she continued. “We ought to practise the waltz some more.” 

“If you think I need the practise.” He tried to lighten the mood somewhat, and it worked; Zelda grinned up at him.

“You could use some work.” She said teasingly, and he rolled his eyes in mock disgust.

That helped to bring some of their usual atmosphere back; Ganondorf was sure Zelda wasn’t going to mention the kiss, so he sure as shit wasn’t going to either. He was determined this wasn’t going to affect their relationship; he just had to act natural, and pray this weekend ended fast so they could return things to normal, quick smart. Goddesses help him if they didn’t.


End file.
